PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2361, 18 January 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Apart from the fighting near Soissons increased activity is reported at different points on_the Western line in which the British forces have borno a conspicuous part. Near La' Bassee (13 miles south-west of Lille) tho British on Thursday last captured a", hill which is regarded as an important strategic point, presumably because it'affords a dominating position for artillery. The attack seems to have been conducted' with equal gallantry and success. For two.hours the British fought their way up the hillside with the bayonet and' wnile they inflicted heavy loss on_ the Germans and captured many prisoners their own losses were slight. ~

* » * » An equally stirring story tells of an engagement near Yprcs in which the principal actors wero the North Staffordshire regiment and tho Canadian regiment, which was recently the subject of a .complimentary reference by Lord Kitchener. After sweeping away a German assault with rifle firo tho British force oharged home with the bayonet, capturing trench after trench and adding no less than a mile to their 'area of occupation. Considering the slow rate of progress which has been tho rule in the Western campaign these successes must be regarded as highly important, and they will add to the renown w ( hich British soldiers have been earning over since they first came in contact with the enemy, and nobly did their part in stemming tho early fury of tho German rush into France.

The achievement of the Canadian yegimanf. will ha unpeaiallv Btntifymg .to m J.eop.le of Candda. Mid too

other oversea Dominions, showing [is ib doea that though they lack the high training of British regulars, the Dominion troops are able to fight shoulder to shoUldor with these splendid soldiers and acquit therasclvob honourably in the sovorest teat that war can impost; —that of a hand-to-hand encounter and a ohargo in faco of strong entrenchmeiltj.

Further details of thd recent battlo north-ettst of. Sbissons show that the German gain, apart from the capture of prisoners and disabled guns, amounts to nothing more important than ai footing in villages on the north bank of the river, in a position swopt by Frondh artillery, Iho howeVof, 'find 'themselves at this point on the wrong side .of the river and the task of re'gaining the ground they have lost may be anything but easy. Even with a oovering support of artillery favourably placed it would be no easy matter to cross the river in faco of the German defence, and the French are) more likely to turn their attention to. a fla.nk attack. The point at which bridges, broke down, cutting off the French supports and enforcing a retreat, was Missy, five miles north-east of Sbissons. The French still hold positions immediately westward of Missy and are also across the river frontier east, Between flank,attacks and the artillery fire from the southern side of the river the position of the force- which the Germans have thrust forward to the river bank in the wake of the French retreat should quickly be made" Very uncomfortable. .

The Gormans, it appears, have claimed that their. success near 'SoiSsons was comparable' to Gravclbtte (bne.bf the great battles of the Franco-?russiaii war which decided the fat© of Met 2), and assert that 8000 Frenchmen were killed iahd 5200 taken prisoners; The French reply is brief, but convincing. It is that ohly three of ■ their brigades were engaged and. that the retreat was unmolested. ( . The Germans, in their determination to manufacture a great victory, have assessed' the French losses in. killed and prisoners at a number probably in excess of the whole force engaged. ' The Strength of a brigade is ah Uncertain quantity, but it is quite likely that the strength of the three French brigades which retreated, on this occasion did not exceed 10,000 tnoni

Apart from the British victories near Yprea and La Bassee, the Allies are evidently pressing matters vigorously along the Western front, in spite of the limitations' imposed upon their activities by the sodden state of the countny. Progress has been made on the Belgian coast, and north of Arras the.Zouaves brilliantly captured a position.at the point of the bayonet.. Other gains are reported in the Vosges, and a position has been captured east of Pont-a-Mousson. Artillery sucoesses , are reported at different points and of the front _ generally, from Soissons to Eeims, it is stated that the Allied batteries have bee,n Very successful in dispersing the enemy and demolishing works. i In fact, although mud and floods.still greatly hamper the fighting, the Allies seem' to be already giving the Germans a, taste of what tney may'expect in the spriug.]

Is North Poland the Russians are still pressing forward. To-day it is reported-that the Germans recently ; expelled-from Sierpd,2o miles north of. Plock,'attempted to hold the fords on the" Skrwa, a tributary of the Vistula, 4o miles east of Thorn, but were dislodged by the Russians and forced to retreat in a northerly direction. The East Prussian liontier on the north 6f the point indivcated is distant from it only about twelve miles.

It is somewhat vaguely stated that the Germans have commenced a bombardment of |'the whole Russian front," but definite details tell uniformly of Russian .successes in East Prussia. No change is reported in Poland south of the Lower Vistula, or in Galicia; Not much portance can be attached meantime to a recent message stating that there are indications that' Fort Boyen has been turned. This Stronghold, guarding the passage between two of the largest'of the Masurian lakes, lies about forty miles inside the' German frontier, and well ahead of any definitely reported Russian advance. ■ *,■#■■# * Winter >eaiher Apparently dominates the situation oh the northern border of Hungary. A Vienna report states that there is "nothing doing"in the Carpathians,'and that inorcasing frosts are impeding operations. In the absence of any message telling of Russian activities the Austrian statement of the position may be accepted as probably correct. The last detailed reports of the operations in Galicia indicated that the Austrians had everywhere been driven back into the mountains except at the extreme' West. An _ invasion of Hungary from Bukowina, at the eastern end of Galicia, was regarded as imminent and the fact that it has not yet been undertaken in itself implies that there has been a suspension of operations.

Rather vague stories continue to filter through about the projected Turkish invasion of Egypt. Matters should soon reach a definite point, howover, for it is now stated that the Turkish advance, if it is to bo made, cannot bo deferred boyond tho middle-bf next month, because after that time the desert water supplies, already meagre, will be dried up. Reports as to the nature of tho force which the .Turks have assembled in Syria are to some extent in conflict. One message avers that threequarters of the army consists of Turkish picked troops, while another declares that it is largely composed- of Arabs and Syrians, who have no heart in.tho business and are more anxious to expel the Turks from Syria than to instal them in Egypt. Both accounts agree in attributing discontent to tho Arab contingent. In regard to the command of the.army reports are contradictory. Not long ago it was reported that a Gorman genoral had assumed command, but a mesßago published to-day asserts that real power is vested in another Gorman officer—Colonel von KiiessensteinV One thing which stands out clearly is that if tho Ottoman forcereally attempts the invasion it will embark upon a desperately dangerous enterprise. Defeated, as in all human probability it would be, by tho well-organised British forco in Egypt, ana with a ,waterlcss desert in its rear, its fate would bo no moi'o enviable than that of the Arabs and Turks who arc now suffering so terribly in the wintry wilds of Trans:Caitoasia.

In Trans-Caucasia the Russians B,ve apparently engaged in pursuing Jragtgcats of tho Turkish. Avn^

whioh recently invaded the province of Kars and Web decisively defeated at Sarikamysh. Tlio statement that tne defeated Turks are being pursued in various directions from the region of the Eivor Olfri, on the western border of the province, suggests that thoy are badly broken and demoralised. Further heavy captures of Turks in tho Karaugan district,, on the southern border of Kara, are reportedj but the Eussians have apparently not yot cleared tho way for an advance into Asia Minor,

The foresight and attention' to detail with which the equipment of the New ; Zealand Expeditionary Force was carried out is exemplified in the fact that its members are now living comfortably in tcttts instead of being compelled like the Australians to bivouao without them. As General Godley points, out in one of his letters to the.Defence Minister (publishod on &aliirday). there a-rd no tents to spare in Egypt, and if the, New Zealahders had:not bedn provided with them before leaving this country they would have had to go without as tho. Australians are now doing. It is satisfactory also to kiibW that the uriifofms with which the. force Is clothed have proved qufto suitable for wintering in Egypt.

* * » * The Capture of Swakopmund; in German South-West AMda, effected by a British force with a loss of two men killed and one wounded;, marks an important step toward the sub jugatioh of the colony; SwakOpmllnd, situated ; Oh the coast about twenty miles north of Walflsh Bayj 1b d,. .railway .terminiis from which two lineß run into the interior, One Of.the lines connects Swakopmund with the capital, Windhoek, whieh lies about ;230 mileß inland, Swakopmund is also cbhhected by cable with the Case of Good Hope, • On the outbreak, of wa.r,, ; the GeiTnanß destroyed their wirelesß Bta'tions on the coast and retreated inland, but they probably still have a station or stations In the" Interior. .'"■ : .

•A Russian story alleging that' eighty sailing ships transporting Turkish soldiers to .-Anatolia, in Asia MiBoi!»-w€M S"Unk by thd Russian Black Sea Fleet, must, be accepted with some reserve. It is unlikely that the Turks would be so foolish as to employ sailing-ships as transports. in the Black Sea, and in any case Anatolia lies south of the Sea. 6f Marmora, which the Turks;M yet-are in ft position to transport troops in perfect security.

A NfiUTHAI. who'has Returned from Berlin states that popular belief in the infallibility of the German Army is waning. This is not surprising. The.'wonder is that; not-withstanding-the failure of .Germany's original -plan of campaign, the faith of the people in their great war rnaohins ■ hae been maintained for so long. The authorities have dbfle their Utniost'to keep the .populace in good heart by suppressing news;, of Geftnah reverses and by publishing accounts of imaginary victories. But the truth is gradually becoming known.. The enormous casualty lists which are published from'time to time must have had a depressing effect on the country, and soldiers who ; .iia.v t ei returned fronuthe front have'no doubt given their, friends unmistakable hints that tilings are not going well. It is Very difficult for , the authorities to explain away the hurling'back of the German Armies, from Paris or tho failure of the march, to Calais. The boasted invasion Of England is still delayed, and notwithstanding the recent raid on the. English coast, the stoppage of Germany's overseas commerce makes it clear to the average- German that, Britain is still mistress of the seas. Germany's original war programme has undoubtedly collapsed, and the explanations given aus not likely to carry conviction. When the people realise the full extent of the Army's failure to achieve the. objects aimed at, and the terrible iosses sustained, the Government may expect serious trouble.